Puppy Biting Problems?

Is your puppy biting on you all the time? Does he nip and 'mouth' your hands, arms, legs, clothes, shoes and so on?

Puppy biting is another one of those common puppy behaviors that can become a problem if you don't deal with it early on. So, let's see why he does this and how puppy training for biting can help you put an end to this annoying (and often painful) problem.

In other words.....

'Let's nip this in the bud'. Sorry, I just couldn't help myself!

All puppies do it!

Although this may seem a fairly harmless, if irritating, behavior when little Fido is a 12lb puppy, it's definitely a habit you want to discourage right away.

Your tiny puppy will be an adolescent and then an adult in the blink of an eye, and then this behavior will be a lot more than irritating. Puppy biting is often an attempt at domination (remember the doggy family pecking order?) and if Fido is allowed to think he's 'in charge' at this point, he won't be willing to renegotiate his position later on.

Puppy training for biting behavior is something that you need to start early, and be consistent with, during those first few months (especially during the teething phase).

Rest assured that this is NORMAL puppy behavior and with a bit of effort on your part it can be controlled, and eventually eliminated all together.

An ounce of prevention

Even though the puppy biting desire is strong it can be magnified by certain situations or behaviors.

Just like little children, puppies get excited when there's a lot of noise or boisterous behavior around them. They express this pent-up excitement by chasing, nipping or barking.

Also, many dog breeds have highly developed herding instincts or prey drive. This means that they have an in-built need to chase fast moving objects. This is hard-wired into their brains and is an automatic, unconscious and reflexive behavior.

It doesn't matter if it's a remote control car, an unsuspecting cyclist or your squealing 5 year old, anything that moves fast (even better if it's making a high-pitched noise too) is a target.

This canine instinct is one of the factors involved in many dog bites and and attacks on young children. It's important to bear this in mind and always supervise your puppy and children when they're playing together.

You can help reduce the excitement-induced puppy biting by keeping your household as calm as possible -

• Reduce the amount of shouting and roughhousing and discourage your children (and other adults) from playing rough with your puppy.
• Don't allow the kids to run squealing through the house, or to tease Fido by riding their bikes around him.
• Puppies are also attracted to flapping, twitching movements. Encourage everyone to use slow, deliberate hand movements which will reduce Fido's desire to bite and mouth on your fingers.

In any normal household (well, with 6 children and a menagerie of pets I'm not sure I live in a normal household!), the dinner time hour can be a bit crazy. It may help to put little Fido in his crate or playpen at this time to help keep him out of the mix.

Correction & Re-direction

"So what do I do?' I hear you ask. Well, there are several alternatives, depending on your puppy's temperament and how persistent or severe the problem is.

• Withdraw your attention
  Every time little Fido's sharp little puppy teeth touch your skin say "OUCH" loudly. This lets him know that his puppy biting hurts and may surprise him into stopping (at least temporarily). Immediately stop interacting with him by breaking eye-contact and/or walking away. Be sure to follow this procedure every single time he nips or bites and he'll soon get the message.

  All your puppy wants is to be with you and to have your attention so when he realizes that if he bites or nips you'll stop playing with him he'll stop. Of course, be sure to praise him and love on him when he plays nicely without any puppy biting. It's just as important to reward good behavior as it is to discourage the bad.

• Be a little more forceful if necessary
  Now it's possible that your beloved furbaby is a tad on the dominant side, and stubborn to boot! If the 'softly-softly' approach doesn't work you may need to be a touch more dominant yourself!

  In this case, make your "OUCH" louder and more forceful and add the word "No!" Fido has no idea what the word means but your tone of voice will help him get the picture. You can also try spraying your hands with one of those little minty breath-sprays - dogs and puppies usually hate the taste.
  

  
  If you're still having problems after all the above go out and buy a small, plastic spray bottle (you can get them at Walmart or any Dollar store for less than $1). Fill it with water and set it to 'stream' (not the fine mist spray). The next time Fido decides to sink his teeth into you, shout "OUCH, NO!" loudly and shoot a quick jet of water right on his nose.

  The surprise should stop your little Piranha is his tracks. It's a good idea to have 2 or 3 of these spray bottles around the house so there's always one handy when Fido is struck by the puppy biting bug.

Rinse & Repeat

This applies equally to every, single aspect of puppy training. Loving, firm and consistent correction and training will win the day.

Don't miss out on this valuable FREE resource. Sign up today.

Enter your search termsSubmit search form

Web www.the-puppy-dog-place.com

Puppy Behavior
Puppy Chewing
Return from Puppy Biting to Homepage